[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 3: Prey of the Hunter

[Darth Rabbitt]

Our whole thing is trying to make money so yeah.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to go to a squat.

[Beroli]

You find a disused workshop near the edge of the city. You chase away a few rats and throw out the decomposing--something--that they were chewing on. You find a few old sheets you can use as a makeshift bed. It’s not the nicest place you’ve ever stayed at, but it will do. Before settling down, you leave your new residence and buy some just past their sell by-date rations from a toothless old woman for 1 credit. You then head back to the workshop, eat your rations and get some rest.

Test your Trail. 8 is a success.

You awaken the next morning with a sore back, but otherwise rested (restore 3 STAMINA points). You do not have 350 credits. You work in the mines. You’ll have to cross town to reach the mines. Will you walk or take the monorail?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 69
2 Laser pistols

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to take the monorail.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for walking.

[Beroli]

The monorail wins 1 to 0.5.

You climb aboard the battered and rusted train and sit in one of the few seats not covered in Silazian chewing bark. The train slowly chugs onwards towards the mines. Test your Trail; a 3 fails.

You are just drifting into that state of semi-sleep adopted by all commuters when a colossal force explodes into the side of the train and sends it flying off the rails to crash into the screaming pedestrians on the streets below. There are no survivors.

On the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper, a one-eyed Trawg lowers his rocket launcher and gives a grin. ‘Bull’s-eye,’ he breathes softly.

Rewinding, you choose to walk.

It’s a fair walk to the mines and walking through the streets on Karthran-6 is never safe at any time. With your head down, you walk through the litter-strewn streets at a prompt pace. Roll a die. The result is a 5.

A crowd is gathering round a huge man, bald-headed and bare chested, his body covered in rippling muscles. ‘Which of you wimps is prepared to take on me, the Mountain of Muscle!’ he bellows. ‘Fifty credits if you can wrestle me to the ground!’

None of the crowd seem too eager to take him up on his offer. A Mercani nudges you. ‘You look strong. I bet you could take him,’ he says enthusiastically. ‘I’ll hold your stuff for you if you like.’

Take him up on his offer?
Push past him and continue to the mines?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 69
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 1

[Thaluikhain]

Do not give our stuff to some random, continue to the mines.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, that guy is just going to run away with our stuff. Ignore him.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to push past him and continue to the mines.

[Beroli]

You reach the mines. A crowd of not-so eager workers are already making their way inside and you follow them in.

You collect your portable extractor from the foreman and join Finnegan and the rest of the miners in the tunnels, ready for a day of tough manual labour.

Roll one die. The result is 1.

There is an ominous rumbling above your head and dust begins to fall from the ceiling.

‘Rockfall!’ yells Finnegan. ‘Everyone out!’

You race after him. You hear the crash of falling rocks and the screams of those who are too slow to escape behind you. Turning round you see one woman pinned down by massive boulders, her arm outstretched. ‘Help me!’ she screams.

Run back to help her?
Continue out of the mine?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 69
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 1

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to run back to help her.

[Thaluikhain]

Help random person.

[Beroli]

You race back and grab her hand, but you can’t pull her out with all the weight of the rocks on top of her. You hurriedly heave the rocks away, but the rumbling goes louder and the ceiling collapses on top of you. Your bones are crushed to smithereens but at least you died a hero.

No "You deserved to die!" like in House of Hell, but it seems the intended takeaway is: never run into a collapsing mine.

Rewinding, you run out of the mine as fast as you can.

Eventually, you emerge spattered with dust into a stable part of the mines. Behind you, you can hear the tunnel collapsing completely--there are no screams for help issuing from it now.

The foreman appears and sighs. ‘This’ll be no end of paperwork,’ he grumbles.

‘Paperwork?’ bursts Finnegan. ‘There’s people dead down there!’

‘That’ll be even more paperwork,’ whines the foreman, clearly feeling sorry for himself.

He instructs the lot of you to clear out the tunnel. You find no survivors. Then the foreman sends you all home. ‘I’ll need to find some more staff,’ he laments as he pays you your 45 credits.

Shaking your head at his callousness, you leave the mine and head back into the city.

You’re feeling tired after the day’s trials. Time to get some rest.

You head through the rough area of the city towards your squat. Figures watch you surreptitiously from the shadows. Roll one die. If you roll a 1 something happens. Your roll is 2.

You stop to buy some food from a smelly old woman for 1 credit before reaching your abode. You tuck into the unappetizing food before settling into an uncomfortable sleep.

Test your Trail; a 4 succeeds (barely). You awaken the next morning with a sore back, but otherwise rested (restore 3 STAMINA points). You do not have 350 credits. You work in the mines. You’ll have to cross town to reach the mines. Will you walk or take the monorail?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 113
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 2

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to walk again.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, walking again sounds good.

[Beroli]

It’s a fair walk to the mines and walking through the streets on Karthran-6 is never safe at any time. With your head down, you walk through the litter-strewn streets at a prompt pace. (The instructions say "roll a die, turn to different sections for 1-2, 3-4, or 5-6, and if you get a result you've already gotten roll again"; as you already got the 5-6 result, instead you roll 1d4 this time.) The result is 3.

You spot a man being beaten up by a few shaven headed youths. You charge towards them and they soon scarper, not so eager to take on someone their own size. You help their victim up. Rather than thank you, he turns to you with a look of boredom. ‘There was no need to do that, stranger,’ he drawls. ‘I was resigned to my fate.’

‘Whatever,’ you reply. You have better things to do than talk to ungrateful weirdos.

As you turn to go he grabs your arm in a vice-like grip. ‘Perhaps you expected more of me? I see from your eyes that you are still shackled by hope, enslaved to the belief that life rewards those who try. Come with me. I shall show you the ways of Despair.’

Go with him?
Shake him off and go to the mines?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 113
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 2

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to go with him.

[Thaluikhain]

Go with random person.

[Beroli]

Your mysterious guide leads you down some dark tunnels underneath an old bomb shelter, a remnant from the Aquanarian War. Eventually the tunnel emerges into a cavernous room deep underground. A man in a hooded green robe is standing in the centre surrounded by gormless looking men and women hanging on his every word.

‘My friends,’ he says in a deep, melancholic voice. ‘We live in a time when mankind is shackled by the restrictions of Hope. Mankind spreads its seed hoping to achieve an immortality it can never enjoy. People reach out for gods in the off-chance that there is something out there and their lives will not end. Planets are conquered in the hope of power but achieving only complications. Money is hoarded only to be redistributed again once the hoarder dies. Only by taking the logical route – by embracing Despair, fearing nothing, caring not when your misery will end, are you truly free.’

He stops talking as he sees you. ‘A newcomer, eh?’ he continues. ‘I sense you are running from something in the vain hope that your survival will mean something in the great scheme of things. Accept your life is nothing – that all lives are nothing – and stop running. There is no point prolonging the agony and purposelessness of life.’

He reaches out his hand. ‘Come, let Despair touch your forehead.’

His worshippers watch you expectantly.

Let him touch your forehead?
Refuse?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 113
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 2

[Thaluikhain]

Refuse.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to refuse.

[Beroli]

‘You recoil?’ says Despair, clearly surprised. ‘Fear is unseemly. Whatever it is you fear it cannot be worse than the drudgery of life. My touch will remove the blindness and allow you to see the light that is darkness.’

He strides towards you, hand outstretched. His acolytes cluster nearer, watching you intently.

Allow him to touch you?
Push him away?

(In light of the "are you sure?" nature of this choice, if no one has voted before I go to bed tonight, I'll treat it as "push him away" winning.)

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 16/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 113
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 2

[Darth Rabbitt]

Push him away.

[Beroli]

As he nears you, you throw a punch at his face. There is a horrible crunch and you grasp your hand in pain (lose 1 STAMINA point). This guy is made of metal!

‘You dare strike Despair?’ he demands. ‘My acolytes, teach this hoper the true meaning of misery!’

His dull-eyed followers converge on you.

Shoot the robot Despair with your laser pistol?
Fight his followers hand-to-hand?
Run?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Alan Schaefer
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/16
Luck: 9/10
Villainy: 2
Trail: 4
Credits: 113
2 Laser pistols
Number of deaths: 2

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to shoot the robot with the laser pistols.